With their vibrant sounds French dub collective High Tone keep on pushing back the barriers of dub. Last year’s album, ‘Opus Incertum’ was an energetic fusion of dub, electronica and world music and this concert promises to be just as lively. After-gig antics continue with the drummer and DJ who, as Big Dub Sound System, will be playing anything from electro to reggae to dance-hall to jungle, and of course, dub. The opener is the fantastically named local rapper Sub Bass Monster, whose infectious style should get the party jumping.
Istvan Haraszty + Laszlo Borbely
Two Hungarian contemporary artists will open new exhibitions in March. Istvan Haraszty, a pioneer in the Hungarian kinetic sculpture movement, uses his knowledge as a mechanic to make statues that won’t keep still. Haraszty’s mobiles and other kinetic works will be on display at the Tarsalglo Gallery. In a show entitled ‘Past Ages – In Present Pictures’, at the Pataky Gallery, painter Laszlo Borbely will exhibit works that include old urban landscapes in striking colours, in a style reminiscent of Chagall’s.
Nuyorica
Tucked away in a quiet piazza between the chaos of Corso Vittorio Emanuele and the Campo de’Fiori is one of the city’s newest and most extravagant outlets for women’s footwear. The emphasis at Nuyorica is on sassy class, with tastefully extravagant Italian, Japanese, American and French models on offer. The shoes don’t come cheap, but where else can you find elegant sandals in tartan designs or killer-heeled boots in the sheerest leather?
Swan Upping on the Thames
(17-21 July) – from various points along the Thames (020 7236 1863/020 7236 7197)
This bizarre but
delightfully archaic event involves a group of paddling or rowing
herdsmen, who identify and mark swans as belonging to the Queen, the
Vintners’ or the Dyers’ livery companies. The Dyers’ swans get one mark
(on the beak), the Vintners’ two and the Queen’s remain unblemished.
You can watch the action from towpaths along the way. The route and
departure time change daily; phone for details.
Campo de’ Fiori 12
The Campo de’ Fiori is awash with pubs and wine bars, catering to throngs of Roman youth. This new watering hole is all the more welcome, being a quiet haven where you can not only hear yourself think, but also try out various regional wines – the Montepulciano d’Abruzzo and the northern Dolcetto are good bets. There’s even the chance to take a pew on one of the old cinema seats that line the establishment. Mario, the manager, has not yet decided on a name for his hostelry; all suggestions are accepted.
Unidentified Human Remains and the True Nature of Love
The juxtaposed title can be taken literally. This contemporary play combines the suspenseful tale of a serial killer on the loose with an exploration of friendship and sexual identities. Up-front and graphic in both its language and its physical portrayal of sex, the work is both provocative and comic, although overall the play is scarcely a comedy. Translated into Catalan for this production, ‘Human Remains’ has been an international hit and has helped to establish its Canadian writer Brad Fraser as one of the more interesting dramatists of his generation.
Mysteries of Egypt + Cyberworld
Two new films blaze across the 80-foot screen at the Luxor’s IMAX Theatre, and one is bound to capture your inexplicable desire for vertigo. ‘Cyberworld’ utilises the Luxor’s 3D-IMAX capability to showcase some of the latest and most intricate computer animation being created. More traditional to the IMAX format is ‘Mysteries of Egypt’, a travel-doc featuring sweeping panoramas of the Nile’s turbulent falls, the treasures ancient royalty, and rare aerials of pyramids nearly 50 stories tall. Screenings alternate every hour.
